Soulmate
by silent-melodymb
Summary: Destitute of money, Alice ends up working as a housekeeper at one of Newport's wealthiest mansions. Little does she know, the mysterious owner of this mansion, Darien has a terrible secret. Could Alice be the key to everything? An original story.
1. Diligence

**Chapter One: Diligence**

The wrought iron gates stood before me; its grand height made me feel very inferior as soon as I walked up to it. Of course, I could just be over-exaggerating. I wasn't used to this particular scale of grandeur after all.

So why was I here?

Well, life hasn't been to kind to me and my mom these past few years. With a mother diagnosed with an unknown illness, a father who rarely comes home due to his job, and a tight crunch in money, the burdens were pretty much passed on to me. Fresh out of high school, I knew that summer was the perfect opportunity to find a job. However, it must be a job with enough payment to cover for my whole family. But what kind of high-paying job would accept a girl of eighteen with nothing but a high school diploma? Last week it seemed impossible, that is until I got an unbelievable opportunity.

"Hey, Alice! Quit spacing out," a voice said, which snapped me back to reality.

I turned to see my childhood friend, Fred Warren, facing me with a quizzical look on his face. After a moment of studying my face, he gave a slight smirk.

"You're nervous aren't you? Do you think you can handle it?" he said teasingly.

I stuck out my tongue.

"Of course I can." I replied.

"I'd love to see you try."

"Freddie, stop teasing! I'm tough enough."

Fred isn't always like this. In fact, he's helped me tremendously with my problems. It's not rare that he'd barge inside the house at random times to help around with the chores. He would also tend to my mom when I was gone. It was also him who has found me this incredible job opportunity, which makes me wonder what kind of connections he's got. In a nutshell, it may not look like it, but Fred's been one heck of a life saver.

Our conversation continued, this time with a cooler atmosphere.

"But, are you sure you're going to be ok? You seem rather pale," said Fred.

"I'm fine," I lied, "It's just--… I'm worried about mom. I hope she'll be ok."

"I'll look after her while you're gone. Besides you'll be back in a couple hours!"

"Yes, but what if I get the job? There's no telling how long they'll keep me."

"Alice, it's summer! I have all the time in the world to check up on your mother's conditions. Plus, I thought you wanted a job. Why are you complaining?"

I sighed. He was right after all. I did want to earn a living.

"What about when school starts up again. You'll be in college! Then no one will look after my mom."

"Don't worry about it. We'll think of something. Now, are you going to enter or not?"

I turned again to face the humongous iron gates. I decided I should hurry up and acknowledge my presence to the household soon, before they get suspicious of two loiterers at the entrance to their home. Right above the watchful security camera was a small black button. After a bit of hesitation, I pressed it, knowing fully well that it was too late to turn back now. Moments later, a man's voice answered.

"Good afternoon. Please state your name and your purpose."

My hands began to shake as nervousness took over.

"I-I'm… hi. I'm Alice Hamilton. I… am… here about the job offer? As housekeeper?"

A few moments and then the man spoke again.

"Please come right on through. But only Miss Hamilton please."

Instantly those gigantic gates swung open to reveal an unpaved road leading into the dense woods. I turned to Fred one last time.

"Well, I'm off. Pick me up in a couple of hours." I said.

"Yep, I know the drill. Good luck! I'm sure you'll be fine."

He gave me a quick hug then got in his car. As I watched him drive away, I could help but feel a sudden drop in the pit of my stomach. I was out to face the unknown…. with no one at my side.

I began to walk down the gravel pathway, letting my thoughts calm my nerves.

_Fred has faith in me. He wouldn't have presented me this job offer if he thought I couldn't do it. If I need help, he'll be really close. My house was only ten minutes away from Newport. _

Yes, Newport. I should have known was I was getting into as soon as Fred had mentioned a Newport household. It's because Newport neighborhoods are anything but impoverished. I remembered all the houses we've passed along the way weren't normal sized at all. Newport used to be the neighborhood of summer houses for the rich back during the Gilded Age in the 1900s. Recalling American history, the Gilded Age was a time where there was no middle class. You were either rich or poor. The rich would spoil themselves by spending their excessive wealth into ungodly fancy things, while the poor would work in roll around in the dirt just the make ends meet. The Gilded Age was basically the start of materialistic obsessions. The thought disgusted me.

_Well, hopefully this household won't be that bad._

I suddenly stopped in my tracks when I was engulfed in a massive shadow. I was so involved in my thoughts that I didn't realize I was already at the house. Or is it a house? I took several steps back and gazed at the enormous mass in front me. My jaw dropped. This so-called house, mansion, whatever it was…. was tremendous. Immense. Colossal! My little ranch-sized house looked like a tool shed compared to this household's size. No, their tool shed was probably bigger. I studied the architecture, mouth agape. The European- style mansion was nothing more than a big white box with Roman pillars that reached three stories tall. There were also intricate details in many parts of the house and several marble statues. But this is just a blunt description. At the time, I couldn't put into words how big my new job was located at. By far, it was the largest house I've seen at Newport, and trust me, that's a big accomplishment.

I swallowed all I could manage and knocked on the two-story brass doors.

_Stop shaking, idiot, _I told myself.

The doors swung open to reveal a sharp looking middle-aged butler. His freshly pressed suit matched his overall appearance.

"Miss Hamilton. Please right this way."

While showing no emotion whatsoever, he showed his politeness with a slight bow and a signal to come follow him.

Well, he certainly made a good impression on me. His sharp eyes seemed to know all, and without a doubt he probably did. He seemed to be the taciturn type, only speaking when necessary. This was a very good mental note to self. As he lead me across the grand foyer, I regained my shock, for the lavishing decorations in this room were also too much to bear. The first thing I noticed was the intricately designed crystal chandelier that was so big; it was the only necessary light source for the entire grand 3-story room. The walls engulfing me were covered in royal crimson and were aligned with gold leaf. I could hear the _tap tap _of our footsteps against the white marble floor as it reverberated throughout the hall. Of course, this fantasy dream home would not be complete without that grand staircase. This particular staircase, covered in red carpet, ran up halfway until it split into two directions into the second floor.

_All that's missing is a throne room_, I thought.

At the foot of this lavishing staircase, the butler stopped and told me to wait a moment while he gets his master. I nodded as he rose and disappeared into an upper hallway. My knees started to knock together once more.

_Gosh Alice. Get yourself together._

I strained to maintain a decent posture by distracting myself from what lay ahead. Failing, I began to think of first impressions. Good posture. Nice easy smile. Relax. Relax. Relax. I could do everything but relax. To calm my nerves I decided to walk around and look around the room. This clearly was a fantasy home any little girl would desire. I took a deep breath and breathed in its cleanliness. It was never this clean at home.

Even though I did admire this mansion's fresh appearance, I certainly had no hopeful desires to own this place. Was that odd? Perhaps it was because in my experience, I believed that the key to happiness was not nearly found in material and wealth, but in the simple things in life. In fact, it's always been my motto and accepting this job seemed to have contradicted it.

"These spoiled people…." I muttered to myself, as I examined a fancy mirror.

My eyes lingered at my mirrored self. Plain, was the only word I could come up with as I analyzed my short chestnut hair and pale complexion. As for my clothes, I did try to dress professionally with a lavender dress and black stockings, but even my best clothing had no match against the beautifully decked out mansion.

"Enjoying ourselves are we?"

I jumped at the sound of a man's voice and quickly swerved around.

"I'm so sorry!" I apologized bowing my head slightly. Looking up, I found I was face to face with a dashing young man who looked about the same age as me. He had a tall figure which matched his well-built body. His handsome face reminded me of a Roman sculpture; his nose was finely chiseled along with very fine cheekbones. His dark brown hair was slicked back in a refined way, probably with expensive imported gels. His chocolate eyes pierced through my green ones as if to tell me…. I blushed as I realized too much time has passed by with me practically gawking at him. The man gave a trifling smile as he noticed my eyes dart away.

"I trust you are Miss Hamilton. Permit me to introduce myself. I am Darien Faraday, head of this household," he said in a smooth tone of voice.

_Head of the household? But he's only like what, my age? Where are his parents? _

I decided that asking questions could lead to potential disaster. Instead I cleared my throat.

He held out his hand which I weakly took.

"Alice Hamilton. Nice to meet you," I answered, struggling to maintain a smile on my face.

"Welcome. Now, I must warn you that this particular meeting does not guarantee a direct access to this job spot. You are not the only one seeking this opportunity. I chose you to come this precise day so as to interview the other ladies wishing to work as well. They are waiting in the drawing room. Please follow Sir Jonathan, so that I may go back and attend to my business."

He began to walk, but turned around again.

"Please do not dawdle. I particularly detest wasting time."

At the warning, I hastened my steps as the butler, Jonathan, led me to another door. Before entering, I glanced back to where Darien was, only to find he disappeared like a mysterious apparition. My eyes lingered at the stop where he used to stand, mystified. He certainly was a strange man.

We entered another room literally looking like a masterpiece itself. Every inch of the room was colored with golf leaf with velvet furniture sprawled about. Unlike the rest of the household, many young women filled the floor. A couple girls glanced at the newcomer, and then went back to their gossips.

I took another deep breath and decided to stand in a corner, hopefully going unnoticed. As I studied the room, my heart began to sink.

Unlike myself, there were beautiful girls surrounding the room. Many of them had dazzling smiles or beautiful soft hair. With my eyes I counted about thirty or forty girls. I sighed, feeling like my chances of getting this job were growing slimmer.

I restlessly waited until the room died down and Sir Jonathan entered once more. Calmly he explained the rules and regulations of becoming a housekeeper and the responsibilities a housekeeper must have. The orientation seemed to be going slowly. I couldn't help but wiggle my toes or stifle a yawn. I decided Sir Jonathan needed to sound more charismatic because his voice made me all edgy.

When I finally believed that we were done, instead he took us on a tour around the house. Each magnificent room that we walked into dazzled the audience, erupting in oohs and ahhs or squealish giggles. To me, every room we walked in started to look the same after awhile. My butterflies started to diminish and all I wanted to do was to go home.

On the second floor one of the girls raised her hand.

"Pardon me, but what's in that room over there?" she said, pointing to a door enveloped in ivory.

Her group of new friends also seemed eager to know.

"That is Master Faraday's bedroom," replied the butler, "Only those permitted to enter are allowed. I'm sure, though, that even if you get the title as housekeeper, you will never have the chance to step in that room."

I eyed the room curiously.

_So this is where he spends his time…_

"Excuse me, Sir Jonathan," the same girl spoke up.

"Yes?"

"Are we going to see Master Faraday often while we're working here?"

The same group of friends squealed at his name.

I shook my head, dumbfounded. Could there seriously be people who still fondle over guys like him? Stupid, good looking, rich guys? Judging by his popularity, I would say he has a good chance of becoming a player!

Sir Jonathan simply ignored the squealing girls and answered, "It depends. However I wouldn't get your hopes too high. Master Faraday is quite busy…"

At that he nervously cleared his throat and continued along with the tour. Want to know the truth? At the end of the tour, every room disgusted me. I mean, how could someone be so… _rich_? He's got it all. Wealth, status, popularity, good looks. Faraday was _the _luckiest person alive.

_No doubt he has business to tend to, that dirty rat… _

With the meeting adjourned, I was completely grateful to be out of there. Even though the whole day just made me want to gag, I couldn't help but find it amusing how every girl was so disappointed with having the job interviews with Sir Jonathan and not the master himself.

I recall the instructions from Sir Jonathan after I've explained my biography during the interview. I was to meet this house again at 7 am sharp, this time entering through the back servant's quarter. There was to be a trial run to see which girls were fit for the job.

I sighed remembering that the only reason I was doing this was for the money. I needed that money in order for the survival of me and my family. With a little more motivation, I eagerly hustled out the wrought iron entrance and slipped into Fred's car right where he promised he'd wait.

"So… how's the first day?" Fred said in a teasing mother-like tone.

I rolled my eyes at his mimic and grudgingly said it was okay.

"It was… tolerable," I said.

"Well that's kind of good news isn't it?" he chuckled.

I opened my mouth and then clamped it when Fred put up a hand.

"I know, I know. Your mother's fine, no need to ask," he said.

I smiled at him warmly. Fred always knew me so well. After all we've been together since before I could remember. I let out a sigh.

"I do feel exhausted. Too much info in my head," I explained.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"And tomorrow is going to be a trial day… I might run into that guy…."

My voice began to falter. I finished with a groan. However Fred looked alert and deeply concerned.

"Guy? What guy?"

"Oh it's no big deal really. No it's nothing," I replied trying to hide my annoyance with the master of the household.

Fred didn't push for more information, which was what I've always liked. Instead he assured me, "Well, if you want to talk about it, you can. I'm always here and you know that."

I nodded a silent thank you and probably from my exhaustion, I drifted off to sleep.


	2. Adversity

**Chapter Two: Adversity**

An irritated beeping noise interrupted my slumber the next morning. Instinctively, I reached out toward the source of the irritating beeping and slapped my hand down. Rubbing my eyes, my memory was hazy from last night's episode. Eventually I peeked at the clock only to find that it was 6:55. It was as if a jolt went through my body. I overslept!

After a screaming into my pillow, I blindly threw on the first clothing I could find, took a mint, then scrambled downstairs. As I expected, Fred was waiting in the kitchen with an impatient look on his face. I was about to babble my apologies, yet Fred stopped me before I could speak and dragged me toward his car. I knew I was in for a lecture, which was rather odd because I rarely become such an irresponsible person.

All throughout the car ride to Newport, I spilled apologies over my absent-mindedness and tried to find excuses.

I buried my head in my hands.

"I'm so sorry! I almost never sleep in! I don't know what's gotten into to me!" I babbled.

Fred, already tired of my repetitiveness, just muttered, "Alright just don't do it again."

The car already approached the familiar iron gates as I quickly thanked Fred and climbed out. I didn't have time to look back as I sprinted into the woods; I was already five minutes late!

As instructed I entered the servant's quarters to find Sir Jonathan awaiting my arrival at the doorstep.

"I'm… sorry… I'm… late!" I heaved.

The thirty or forty girls were already waiting inside, eager to begin work. Some tossed their hair in disgust and others glanced away seeming to take the embarrassment for me. Color rose from my face and I smoothed the creases from my much iron-needed blouse. The butler said nothing and maintained a straight face. Nervously I joined the other intimidating girls as all pairs of eyes were on me. I tried to sink back in the corner.

Sir Jonathan excused his throat.

"Well then, now that we have everyone," he began as he emphasizes the word _everyone_, "I will give you instructions on your stations now. Before you begin, you must wash up and change into your uniform…"

After another long lecture, we were led into a room full of black and white uniforms. We were greeted by a petite woman in her mid-20s that seemed to be wearing the same uniform we were to wear. I sighed wearily. I seriously did not want to wear a frilly knee length black and white French-maid looking dress. I glanced at the women who later I've learned that she goes by the name Lydia. The French-maid look really suited a cute woman like her.

Reluctantly, I grabbed my own garments and headed into one of the many decorated rooms to change. As I glanced in the full lengthed mirror, I gapped. Even though I was working as a maid, I felt like even the maid's outfit was fancier than any outfit I owned!

My white stocking-covered knees awkwardly bent inward. My black knee-length dress matched my dark Mary Janes. I placed a white apron over my dress and neatly tied the huge bow in the back. I grimaced as I fixed the black and white doily headdress on my chestnut hair and the final white lace around my equally white neck. Perplexed, I did a quick spin. Okay, so I admit, I did look cute.

_Cute for a Japanese girl_.

But how could anyone work in this type of garment? I mean, there was no reason to include a headdress and frill to the set. In the distance, I heard a clock chime 8 o'clock which warned that I was to be in the first floor corridor. I gathered my mop and broom and hastily made my way through the house. Four girls glanced up as I arrived. My heart sank as I recalled their beautiful faces. They were those "Faraday fan girls" from yesterday. All girls seemed to have a unique quality to them. Even with the same matching uniforms, they simply outshone my own look.

One girl gave a dazzling smirk as if she was just gossiping about me. It was the same girl that asked about Master Faraday's room.

"Ah, it's you," she said in her silky tone.

"The _late _one," said the dark haired girl to her left. The other girls cast a wickedly beautiful smirk, which made me feel inferior. Not that I wasn't inferior already…

"Now now Miranda, be nice," said silky-tone girl. Immediately, the smiles vanished. Apparently she was the leader of the group.

I decided to ignore them and began picking up my broom. However, the leader side-stepped me.

"Hey, you've made quite the news this morning. I'm Jennifer." She held out a healthy pink nail-polished hand. I weakly took it.

"Alice," I muttered.

"Come now don't be shy," said the dark-haired Miranda with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Miranda lay off!" ordered Jennifer.

Again, the beauty submerged.

Jennifer flipped her golden curls and turned back to me.

"Please don't mind Miranda. She can be a bit…. Well in any case, this is Chelsea and Lindsey."

She motioned two similar brunettes behind her and both cast a simple smile at me. Jennifer pursed her lips as she carefully studied me. I couldn't do anything but stare back.  
"So," she began after a long time, "you've decided to work here?"

I nodded slowly. _Where was she getting at? _

"I see," Jennifer said, frowning in disapproval, "If you ask me, you should've given up a long time ago."

She saw my appalled face.

"No offense, "she went on leaning closer to me, "but just between you and me. You've already screwed it up. One mistake and you're gone. At least that's what I've been told. I'm surprised you're still here."

Both brunettes whispered something to each other and giggled. I suppressed the lump in my throat. A burning sensation filled my eyes.

Miranda's beautiful face seemed to have replaced with evil the instant I met with her heavily mascara eyes.

"Even if you had been on time, you wouldn't last a day today. Why? Well look around you. Everything in this place is majestic and beautiful. Now even the staff has got to look _presentable_ with a mansion like this."

Chelsea stepped in and wrenched my broom away.

"In other words, "Chelsea interrupted, "you're too plain."

Lindsey joined in, "And an eyesore to the Faraday household."

Miranda, Chelsea, and Lindsey tried to suppress a laugh.

Jennifer signaled the girls that they were finished then glanced back at me with her long eyelashes. Although she was the prettiest girl I've ever seen, I knew I could never befriend her. My eyes already began to sting and I willed myself not to cry. Seeing me turn crimson and struggling to maintain my composure, a satisfied Jennifer stabbed her last words, "Alice, now be a good girl and give it up."

At that moment, Sir Jonathan approached us ready to give instructions to the new housekeepers. At once all four girls straightened their backs and held a graceful yet headlong position. I struggled to imitate them.

Once more I was given instructions on how to clean, dust, and polish the hallways and rooms, but I was only half listening. Those girls' words pierced through my heart like an unshadowed truth. For they were completely right and I had no clue why they would still keep me now.

After hours of repetitive cleaning and dusting, my body did not ache. Since I do all of the household chores at my own house, it was surprisingly no different than cleaning the mansion. But all throughout my chores, the conversation with Jennifer and the others still haunted me. The clock chimed 12 noon which signaled an hour lunch break from my shift. I watched in the corner of my eye as Jennifer and her posse animatedly chatted and turned the corner out of sight. I slowly slid down with my back facing the wall. I was alone.

I decided that I needed to escape from the house after a few minutes. Without the maids running around, the halls looked empty. Everyone was down in the kitchen for their lunch break. Yet I was not hungry so instead I walked blindly down the halls in search for an exit to this enormous palace.

Luckily I ended up finding the doors to a terrace which leads to a lush garden. A large marble fountain with a graceful angel stood before me. The fountain was surrounded with a large basin of water which held lily pads. Instantly I felt calm with the fountain's water dancing and the sweet smell of roses. I knelt next to the water and just stared. I did not know if what Jennifer had told me was true. But if it was, why hadn't they kicked me out yet? Why do I still continue to work?

I closed my eyes and started to sing. I did not care at that moment whether I looked stupid kneeling next to a fountain in a French-maid outfit. I did not care that I was singing with no audience but myself. But I knew that singing always lifted my spirits.

_Some say love it is a river_

_That drowns the tender reed_

_Some say love it is a razor_

_That leaves your soul to bleed_

_Some say love it is a hunger_

_An endless aching need_

_I say love, it is a flower_

_And you it's only seed._

I breathed a sigh. It was only the first verse of the whole song, but it already brought a smile to my face.

All of a sudden, my ears tensed as I heard a door quietly creak. Alarmed, I wrenched my head toward the mansion. For a split second I saw a shadow leave the second story balcony window, and then nothing more. I started to feel nervous butterflies in my stomach. If it were one of the staff that saw me, they would tell for sure! I brushed off my skirt, tugged at my apron, then rushed back inside toward the direction of the kitchen.

It will be all over if I was caught.

I was winded as I approached the double wooden doors to the kitchen. I bent down and gasped for breath. Believe me, it was tough running in a maid dress. I straightened out my position and slowly crept in, hoping that I could slip by without anyone noticing. Thankfully no one stole a glance at me.

After I've received my lunch, a beautifully laid salad and a slice of bread was all I had appetite for, I quietly sat down at the lonely wooden table in the corner. Nervously, I ate my food praying that no one has told Sir Jonathan that I was at the gardens. Nearby I could see Jennifer and her group sitting together, animatedly chatting amongst themselves. I couldn't help but overhear as Jennifer shushed the group.

"Have you read the Newport Daily News lately?" Jennifer said low enough for her group and me to hear.

One brunette nodded.

"Yes, another burglary! What tragic news. He stole so many possessions!" Lindsey said with a deep concerned face.

All three girls shushed her down for speaking too loudly.

Jennifer quickly cast her eyes both ways, flipped her hair, and leaned in toward her group.

"It was my neighbors he stole at. He was right next door to me… the Newport thief," Jennifer murmured.

I shivered at the thought of a burglar being close to my house. Yet, who would want to steal something in my tiny house? We had no valuables whatsoever.

"Did you see him?" Chelsea replied anxiously.

Jennifer slowly nodded; her big beautiful eyes twinkled as she gave a dazzling smile.

The brunettes clasped their hands and giggled while Miranda perked her head up, now seemingly interested in the conversation.

"What did he look like?" said Miranda, cautious not to sound too interested. She tucked her hair behind her ears which gave a cool, stylish look to her.

"Well," Jennifer began, giving an over exaggerated sigh as if to swoon, "I couldn't see much since it was dark. Anyway I was on the terrace that night. I just took a bath and was just getting a bit of fresh air, when I heard something rustle in the trees. It was him, the famous phantom thief!"

"He was at your house?" Chelsea exclaimed shockingly followed by a shush from Miranda.

"Yes. Even though he had on a mask, I could tell he was gorgeously handsome. Pretty tall too. And oh how his cape fluttered in the wind…"

Miranda willed her to go on.

"Anyway," she continued, snapping back to reality, "he turned to look at me!"

"He saw you!?" all three girls exclaimed.

Jennifer nodded then gave a slight blush.

"But he didn't do me any harm. We just starred at each other. It was like… like from a romance movie!" At that, Jennifer really did look like she was going to swoon, yet she continued.

"After some time, he put a finger to his lips as if to tell me it was our secret, and then vanished. I couldn't do anything after that. My heart kept beating so fast. He was so mysterious and handsome. Isn't it romantic? A beautiful maiden who fell in love with the town's thief!"

"It's love! Love!" squealed Lindsey, clasping Jennifer's hand. Soon her and her posse started giggling with glee. At that moment I couldn't help realize Miranda sitting off to the side, starring back at the rest of the group. It made me curious. Was she jealous? Or….

Soon the clock struck one, which signaled everyone to finish their lunch and head off to their jobs. I sighed. Only four more hours to go before I could return to the safety of my own home.


	3. Enigmatic

**Chapter Three: Enigmatic**

The first thing I did as soon as I reached my house was flop down on my pillow and lay motionless. I had too much to think about. And as I thought, I felt as if the words in my head came in short little sentence fragments: the job, Faraday fan girls, getting caught, long relentless hours, stupid frilly dress, Newport thief, perfection or else fired….

I hadn't heard from Jennifer and her group since their secret at lunch which relieved me the whole afternoon. They had been instructed to clean on the opposite side of the mansion, far away from me. In fact, I felt so relieved that I was way more efficient than I ever was.

I rolled over onto my stomach.

I also never caught a glimpse that Darien guy all day either. Which, of course, I didn't really care whether I saw him or not. It just makes me wonder what he's up to all day.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a faint call of my name. I bounded up to the room next door to my mom's room.

Now, if people had met my mom for the first time, they'd probably be taken aback by her appearance. But after years of seeing her always looking like an underweight and extremely fatigued woman, I've gotten used to it.

"My dear Alice, how was your day?" she said wearily like a grandma to her grandchild.

Even though my mom was in her late 40s, her sickly appearance made her look like she was in her 60s.

"Just fine and… peachy," I lied, grasping her hand.

I didn't want to trouble her with her health and all, so I had to lie.

My mom seemed to have taken the bait.

"Oh, my Alice dear, you're always working so hard. I'm so grateful."

I smiled at her compliment.

"Don't try to overwork yourself, ok?"

"Yes, mom."

"And make sure you eat healthy."

"Yes, mom."

"And also be careful. I've read those recent stories on the newspaper about that burglar. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"…Yes, mom. I got it. Now, I'll clean up here," I said as I motioned to her finished dinner tray," and you need to rest some more."

"Ok dear, good night then," she answered and turned over on her side.

I gathered up her tray, took one last look behind me, then shut the door.

As I started washing the dishes, I couldn't help but think of the last suggestion she said. She had also read about the Newport phantom and now she's concerned. Well… great.

_But at least he wouldn't steal anything at this house. Not with anything valuable here._

The thought seemed to have calmed me. Still, I silently prayed that he wouldn't come here. If my mom was left all alone in the house with a thief, what would happen to her? I dreaded the worst!

Then another thought registered in my mind.

_This thief would most likely steal on Faraday property instead. Oh well, Mr. Rich-guy probably wouldn't even notice anything was missing._

___I was surprised that the very next day, Sir Jonathan didn't dismiss me. I guess I was probably doing my job then. I was assigned to cleaning several guest bedrooms until it was time for a lunch break._

___For several hours, I dusted, set up bedrooms, and polished furniture._

___After a while, I glanced up at the clock. Only 10:30? I was already finished with my chores! I had an hour and a half of doing nothing. I decided I didn't want to ask for more work, so I started meandering the halls, carefully checking if anyone was nearby. After all, I didn't want to suddenly end up facing those heart-stabbing gossip girls nor that Faraday guy. _

___I quietly slipped by some maids working in their own guest bedrooms and took the spiral staircase at the end of the hallway to the second floor. _

___The second floor was quieter with barely anyone bustling about. Anyone but…._

___I quickly hid behind a display of a knight's armor before she saw me._

___What was Miranda doing up on this floor? Especially, next to that ivory-decorated door?_

___It only took me a moment to realize that Miranda was staring directly at the door to Darien Faraday's room. _

___I really felt like I should leave. But, curiosity got the best of me._

___I peeked around the armor as I watched her creep closer and started to pull the handle. Discovering it was locked, she jangled it a few times then slipped a hairpin from her beautiful dark hair. Just as she was about to wrestle the pin into the keyhole…._

_"__May I ask what you're doing?"_

___As surprised as I was, Miranda whipped around to see Darien himself, kiddy corner to where she was. Miranda gulped and hid her hands behind her back. Her face turned crimson as she lifted her face to meet Darien's piercing eyes._

_"__I…." She was too dumbfounded for words. _

___I watched, breath silenced, as Darien briskly walked straight up to her. Miranda backed up against the wall, her hands hopelessly searching for some imaginary door handle to appear and get her out of this mess._

___Darien cornered her as he flung his hands at the wall, giving no way for her to escape. Miranda tried to suppress a little scream and started to shake. She was trying not to give in. Why?_

___My mind was convulsing. What do I do? What's going to happen? I was about getting ready to charge at him until I saw Darien put on a smile._

_"__Don't worry," he said in a low voice._

___Miranda stopped shaking and looked at him again. As if hypnotized, she started to relax. Darien caught hold of her hand and took her hairpin. However, she seemed unfazed as he gently slipped it back in her hair. I caught my breath as he slowly bent down, whispered something incoherent in her ear, and walked back down the shadowed hallway. I watched as he left Miranda still dazed and pressed up against the wall._

___I, too, retreated the opposite way Darien had left, blushing at whatever I just saw._

___Blindly, I ran down the spiral staircase back to the first floor. Then I kept running, not really knowing where I was going. I just wished to be far away from Darien._

___I mean, what really just happened?_

___Why was Miranda trying to break into Darien's room?_

___Furthermore, Darien caught her. So why didn't he fire her?_

___An image of Darien's figure approaching Miranda who was terrified beyond belief shot through my mind. Yet it was odd, __too odd,____ that Miranda started to calm down all of a sudden. _

___What did Darien do?_

___Suddenly, I felt as if I ran into cement as a nearly toppled over, bashing my nose in the process._

_"__Owww!" I cried, feeling a seer of pain on the tip of my nose._

_"__Oh sorry! Pardon m'am!" a voice said._

___I look down to see the petite lady in her early 20s that I first met in the room with all the maid outfits. Her name was…. I couldn't really remember. I could have sworen it was mentioned at the orientation._

_"__No, I'm the one who should be sorry," I said clutching my nose._

___However the lady seemed to be concerned._

_"__Oh here, let me see!" she said._

___I bent down as she examined my throbbing nose._

_"__It's not bleeding… That's good I suppose."_

___She touched my nose and immediately I flinched._

_"__Well, the pain's going away…" I answered in a flustered voice. I felt totally embarrassed because of my clumsiness. I was never this clumsy before._

___The lady gave a little smile and held out her hand._

_"__Come. I was just taking a break anyway."_

___I hesitantly grabbed her tiny hand and followed her through several hallways and stairs until we reached a little drawing room._

___The sunlight shown through the windows and gave the room a yellowish-whitish tint to all the walls and furniture. There were several lacey curtains on the windows, and lacey dollies that covered a nearby table. So to sum it all up, everything was really bright and lacey._

___I smiled, thinking this room was meant for a child._

___The lady motioned me to a chair._

_"__Sit here while I come get some hot water and a towel."_

___I gave an awkward smile, "Thank you.. um…" Crap. I still forgot her name._

___She quickly turned around again. _

_"__Oh I'm sorry. How can I be so rude without introducing myself? I'm the dressmaker, Lydia Flores. Just call me Lydia though. I don't like calling people by their last names. But I guess that's very contradictory in this house, isn't it?"_

___She gave a little laugh and stepped out of the room._

___I glanced around, still feeling a little awkward. However, I thought of Lydia and how she was very kind to me. She was really the only person that was nice to me since this new job._

___I stood up and walked around the room, studying all the porcelain plates and china that lined the walls. Moments later, Lydia came bursting in. I sat back down as she gave me a hot towel, and then laid down two saucers and white teacups._

_"__Care for some tea? I always have tea during my break time."_

_I nodded as she poured hot water into my own teacup. I rested the towel on my nose. It felt so nice and warm._

_"__So," Lydia began, "what brought you to work here in the Faraday household?"_

___I plopped a teabag in the cup._

_"__Well, I need the money. And this job pays well." I answered nonchalantly. It was the truth after all._

___Lydia studied me closely. Suddenly I started to feel all edgy. It felt like minutes passed by and I took a sip of my tea, trying to ease the tension._

___Lydia finally smiled and quietly said, "I see."_

___I blinked, not so satisfied with her answer. It seemed that her face darkened as if to recall something. I decided not to say anything and took another sip._

___More minutes seemed to pass. The two of us sat there idly, sipping our tea._

___I heard Lydia clear her throat._

_"__You seem… different than the others," she finally said._

___I didn't really know how to respond to that. "How so?" I managed to say in a polite tone. I felt a little bit offended when she said that._

_"__Well, I particularly see you as the type to—how do I put it—gussy up and you know, swoon at that particular gentleman that catches everyone's eye."_

___I smiled, seeing where she was getting at._

___Looking at Lydia… well she is beautiful. But there was something about her that made her seem different from the other girls as well. More like me._

_"__That's because I'm not some dimwit who comes to work just to meet an attractive guy—and if you don't mind me saying, he's not attractive at all. Either that, or I have no taste!" I replied._

___Both Lydia and I burst out laughing. In fact, I found my smart-aleck remark to be a little too funny. We continued to laugh, not knowing why some small comment entertained us so. Perhaps it was because Lydia was the only shed of kindness I received ever since I've started working in this blasted place._

___Lydia was the first to recover._

_"__I've never met anyone like you. Everyone here seems to only be obsessed with one thing. Or should I say one person!"_

_"__I know! So what's he really like," I asked, "Stuck up? Selfish? Snobbish? Anyone who looks like that is bound to have those traits."_

_"__Well, he's—," Lydia struggled to find the right words, "an interesting character."_

___And suddenly, it was like all signs of Lydia's laughter and happiness vanished in thin air. Her face looked shadowed again._

_"__Oh uh, sorry did I offend you?" I apologized._

___Lydia looked at me and tried to smile._

_"__No it's not that! It's just… Alice."_

___I froze when she said my name. How did she know my name? I never even introduced myself yet!_

_"__Alice, please be careful. Especially around Darien."_

___I blinked._

_"__But why?" was all I could say._

_"__Just trust me! I can't say anything, but I have the right to warn you. In fact, I suggest you quit right now."_

_"__Why? I can't just leave my job. How will I earn money?" I demanded._

___Lydia's tone began to rise._

_"__I assure you. The money you receive is a mere cent with the danger around this place. Besides, do you really need money that badly? What is it you work for?"_

___Lydia clearly had a steel tone in her voice. This wasn't a joke; she was serious. But I was serious too._

_"__I work to cure my mom. She's sick and needs help and I intend to work to pay off her medical bills," I answered boldly._

___Lydia seemed to have understood because she nodded. But again, she did not budge._

_"__Please. All the more reason to quit this job."_

_"__Lydia, I don't understand! I need this job; I'm helpless without it! I can't support myself or my mom if I don't continue to work."_

___I was frustrated now. And very confused._

_"__Alice, you can't understand. I'm not even allowed to speak to you about this. But I can see even by this small meeting, you're a very good girl, and staying here will put you at risk. Mr. Barrington is very dangerous!"_

___At that, Lydia covered her mouth._

___My eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar surname._

_"__Barrington? Who is Mr. Barrington?"_

___Lydia sharply inhaled as if she's been busted for something wrong. She then collected the half drunken teacups and teapot into a tray. I watched her busily gathering up everything and decided to help her._

___We cleaned up in silence._

_"__Well," I managed to say after putting things away, "thank you for the tea."_

___I peered at the clock. 11:50._

_"__I must be going down for lunch."_

_"__Agreed," said Lydia ,"Go down the hallway then two flights of steps. Please come again. You're welcome anytime."_

_"__Thank you," I said again._

___As I began to slip out, Lydia placed a hand lightly on my shoulder._

_"__Don't forget what I said," she murmured._

___I starred at her with a quizzical look then left without looking back at the brightly colored safe haven._


	4. Quiescent

___**Chapter Four: Quiescent**_

_"__Hey Alice… are you ok?"_

_"__Hmm what? Oh yeah, of course I am!"_

___Judging by Fred's face, he didn't buy my answer. I sighed and leaned against the passenger window starring at all the gigantic houses that passed by._

___For some reason, I wasn't apt to tell Fred what I've seen lately—the freak accident with Miranda, the warning from Lydia._

___I especially don't want to tell Fred I've ran into __him._

___It happened on my way back from lunch break, after I've spend a half hour sitting by my lonely self in the corner._

___My next task was to clean another hallway on the third floor and make sure to dust every portrait and every table in it. I was minding my own business, using the feather duster to dust the much needed portraits when suddenly, I felt as if someone was watching me._

___I kept turning around, feeling as if two pairs of eyes kept stabbing me in the back._

___Suddenly, the room felt dark; my bones began to chill. It was as if an invisible wind picked up and prickled the back of my spine._

___At that moment, I felt like I was too terrified move; I felt like the walls were closing in and realized I was all alone._

___Head pulsating, I began to panic. Everything seemed to amplify inside of me; my heart thundering against my chest, my shallow rapid breathing, my trembling body—everything in my mind was in a blur. _

___I dropped my duster and clutched my head, trying to keep myself sane._

___I've never had this feeling of being so lost before._

___I suddenly found the leg strength to run blindly down the halls._

___Make it stop. __Make it stop!_

___I screamed as something warm touched my hand. _

___And suddenly, everything stopped._

___I turned to see whoever it was who touched me. My temperature climbed when I realized who was standing before my very eyes, the man I wanted to run into the least._

___He looked almost exactly like when I first met him, except with another darker suit. His hair was still slicked back in that refined way. However, the twist of his mouth showed a bit on concern. He probably thought I was going insane. Well, I might've been._

___Before he could say the words "Are you okay", I managed to yank my hand away from his._

_"__Sorry," I mumbled._

___I gave a little cough, tugged on the back of my apron, and began to stride back to wear I'd dropped my duster._

___All the while, I could feel him staring at me curiously but didn't say a word._

___I just hoped he would turn away and act like he never saw that. I really, really prayed that he wouldn't fire me._

___I found the courage to take a little quick peek behind me only to find Darien still standing there, gazing at me. He gave a quick little nod, and—was it a smile or a grimace?_

___I tried to give a quick little smile then practically sprinted to pick up my duster. The rest of the day, I couldn't concentrate._

_"…__ce… Alice… Hey Alice!"_

___I felt Fred shake hard on my shoulder._

___I snapped back to reality._

_"__What? Oh sorry."_

_"__Look, I asked if you were alright. I really don't see it."_

___I said nothing. Fred could always tell when something was wrong. Always. Sometimes I really wished he wouldn't be able to tell, and this was one of those days._

___It was minutes later until we pulled into the front of my house._

_"__Thanks for the ride," I mumbled then started to slip out of the car. However I felt a small tug on my sleeve._

_"__Alice, look at me."_

___I sighed then struggled to look into Fred's eyes. His iris was the same color as mine, light green. They were filled with worry as he gazed up at me._

_"__If you need anything, tell me. I'm always there for you, ok?" _

___I squeezed his hand reassuringly and smiled. His smile in return warmed me up. _

_"__Sure. Thanks, Freddie."_

___I really liked nighttime the best, right before I went to sleep. It was the only time I can reflect on everything in the private of my own room without any work or any distractions. This night, I wrestled my thoughts between Darien and Fred._

___Should I really tell Fred about Darien? Everything I've seen and heard about?_

___If I did, he'd freak out for sure. Then I really wouldn't be able to get the job._

___I've noticed the crowd of applicants getting smaller and smaller every day. I wasn't sure when Jonathan had dismissed them; I figured it he would tell them privately. _

___Well that's pretty good, I thought. It's way more embarrassing to announce it to the whole staff. I don't think I could stand the humiliation._

___I was bitter that no one from Jennifer's clique had been dismissed yet. I really just didn't want to deal with them._

___I stared out my window at the night sky. It was perfectly cloudless with sprinkles of tiny white stars. The face of the moon no bigger than my thumb sat amongst them, using its illumination to feed what little light it can muster._

___I had the urge to go out and study the stars for a while. I couldn't waste this beautiful night._

___After quietly creeping down the stairs so not as to awaken my mom, I carefully slide back the screen door. A gust of wind blew my near-damped hair, yet it felt so good. I felt as if it blew away the cloudy, muddled thoughts away so that my mind was fresh and new._

___I stepped out into the grass, feeling the soft earth beneath my toes._

___Despite our small house, we had an abnormally large backyard. It was fenceless and treeless, just how I liked it._

___I looked up again at the sky, seeing more stars than I did from my room. I then thought of Lydia. If her warnings were true, why was she still cooped up in that mansion working for him? She had the right to quit!_

___A sudden rustle nearby instantly drained my face. Muscles tensed and my hearing amplified tenfold. _

___I prayed it was an animal. However, all hope vanished when from the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow. The shadow was so small at first but, to my despair, it started to expand at an alarmingly rapid rate._

___I attempted to let out a scream, only to be muffled forcibly by the intruder's large hands. My gut reaction reasoned the intruder was a man; no woman can be that strong. Pain was searing at my mouth and against my waist. He was picking me off the ground!_

___I started to flail my arms and kick my legs, trying to knock him out but to no avail. A powerless me was no match for someone so strong. I started to lose my energy and realized my struggle to breathe. If he blocked my air capacity much longer, I'll be in big trouble._

_"__Don't struggle," his voice whispered in my ear._

___To my surprise, I stopped, letting me linger there, my feet above the ground. I realized that his hands were off my mouth now, but he now held a firm grip on my neck. With his powerful hands, he can choke me to death._

_"__W-who…. Are you…?" I managed to choke out._

___But I already knew the answer. I had just run into the infamous Newport thief. _

_"__What do… you want from… here?" I asked, trying to calm my rushing pulse._

___So far he hadn't killed or raped me yet, was my first thought. Maybe I'll live to see another day…._

_"__We have… nothing here…. No valuables."_

_"__I won't harm you, nor steal anything," the man replied, "If you don't call the police, I'll let you go. Otherwise, you'll have to suffer the consequences."_

___I nodded. I'd do anything just to save my skin. My mom needed me and she'd die without me._

___I felt the coolness of the ground touch my feet and his encircled arms leave my body. However, my knees were still shaking and my feet were so unstable that I collapsed helplessly. _

___The figure was now towering over me. His face gave off an eerie, yet strangely beautiful silhouette in the moonlight. I couldn't make out his eyes at all, for it was hid behind a white mask. I could see why Jennifer talked about the thief the way she did. Even with a half-masked face, he was devilishly handsome. I couldn't make out his hair color because it was covered by a top hat, an unusual thing to wear when going out to steal something. Perhaps he was a thief of style._

___Covered in black, head to toe, I could see an outline of red, possibly from his cape, billowing behind him._

___I honestly thought these sorts of clothes would fit thieves in story books. I guess I was totally wrong. Still, I honestly couldn't say these clothes looked bad on him…_

_"__Don't harm my mom," was the first thing I could say._

___He seemed to chuckle quietly at my response._

_"__You seem to say the strangest things amidst putting yourself in danger."_

___Was he toying with me?_

_"__I wouldn't be in danger unless you hadn't shown up and practically attacked me!" I spat._

_"__Well, you being outside wasn't part of my plan."_

___I gulped. _

___He seemed to notice my nervousness._

_"__Relax," he assured me in a dark tone, "Did you honestly think I was planning to infiltrate a house like yours?"_

___He started walking toward me now. I braced myself for the worst._

___Instead, I was appalled when he took my hand and lightly kissed it. I blushed crimson. What was he doing! I jumped to my first initial reaction. A cold hard slap seemed to echo in the moonlit night. I had just slapped Newport's most crafty thief._

___Giving a little grunt from the impact, I watched him take a couple steps back and put a hand against his now reddish cheek. I could still feel my hand burning; I gave him a slap with as much strength I could muster after all. _

___My mind began to panic again. _

___Instead, he looked at me again and gave a surprisingly loud laugh._

_"__You amuse me," the thief said, "You have such an interesting personality."_

___He tipped his hat at me and said in a low voice, "We'll be seeing each other again."_

___I could only watched, mesmerized, as he slowly started backing away._

_"__Farewell," he narrowed his eyes. "Alice."_

___Then with a whip of his cape, he mysteriously disappeared without a trace. _

___I could only stare back, mouth partly open and utterly speechless. My mind couldn't comprehend what just happened. _

___How can someone just… disappear? Was he also a magician? _

___Despite being a near death experience, it was almost liked a magical meeting, a meeting between an average girl and a devious thief._

___I charged blindly back into the house and fled to my bedroom wear I curled up under my blanket in a fetal position. I couldn't fall asleep in fear—or was it a want?—of the him coming back again._


	5. Presentiment

___**Chapter Five: Presentiment**_

___Light streamed into my windows. I had forgotten to close the blinds last night. Truthfully, I had watched the sun rise higher and higher as the morning progressed because I couldn't sleep a wink. The sun was just at the perfect angle to practically blind me, forcing me to sit up. I looked at the clock. I had an hour until I had to go back to my stupid work. _

___I greeted my mom a good morning and took a moment to realize she already had her breakfast tray in front of her. Fred must be here._

___I dashed down the stairs, not really bothering to comb my hair or to wash my face. Standing next to the sizzling frying pan was Fred, dressed in jeans in a gray T-shirt._

___He turned and greeted me._

_"__Mornin' sleepyhead," he joked._

_"__You really didn't have to…."_

_"__Com'mon Alice. It's the least I can do." He put a spoonful of scrambled eggs and bacon and handed it to me._

___I decided to give up and sat down. The breakfast looked—and smelled—incredible. I really couldn't argue with a born-to-be chef after all. Fred's cooking always tasted so delicious!_

___I settled down and wolfed down my food, ignoring all signs of showing any manners. Fred was so used to it that it didn't matter anymore. He filled up his own plate and began digging in too. _

___After the hearty meal, I stretched back in my chair and relaxed. Fred did the same. It was nice to just relax with your best friend before all chaos and work kicks in. I noticed Fred smiling at me, and I returned one back. With Freddie, all my worries seem to vanish._

_"__Alice, is there anything you want to tell me?" Fred finally spoke._

___I sighed, good feeling gone._

___Knowing Freddie, he was probably going to keep asking until I said something. I decided to tell him about last night, but not anything else. Besides, the phantom thief has nothing to do with my job._

_"__Well, I… met the Newport thief last night," I answered._

___Fred look appalled._

_"__What!"_

_"__He came to our house. I was outside…"_

_"__Did he hurt you?" he demanded._

_"__Well no…. I…."_

___Fred abruptly seized my arm with a firm grip. His green eyes were filled with rage._

_"__Did he hurt you!" he said again, growing louder with every word._

___His grip on my arm tightened. A sharp pain inflicted on me._

_"__Fred! Stop, you're hurting me!"_

___Instantly he let go, leaving a faint red mark on my arm._

_"__Sorry…" he mumbled._

___I rubbed the mark then looked back at Fred. I knew he didn't mean it._

_"__I just… don't want you hurt. What if he… I dunno, killed you? What would I do? How could I stand it?" he said._

___He frustratingly buried his face in his hands. I came over and put my arms around him, reassuringly._

_"__Nothing happened to me. Look I'm fine, ok?" I murmured. _

_"__Why didn't you call the police?" he answered sourly, "Why didn't you call me? Did he threaten you or something?"_

___I paused to reassess the best answer._

_"__I negotiated with him. He promised he won't come here again. I was just in his way. So, relax he won't come back here anymore," I said, half-lying._

___I couldn't tell Fred that I might meet him again. This thief… he might harm my mom. Then what'll I do?_

_"__You believe me, don't you?" I asked Fred._

___No answer and then finally "Ok, Alice. I believe you."_

___I smiled, relieved._

___I couldn't trouble Fred. Not after everything he's done for me all this time._

_"__But I will take caution," he warned me "If he comes again, I swear I'll call the police."_

___I laughed._

_"__I'm serious!" he protested, "I'll have to start watching you and your mom much more frequently."_

_"__That's not necessary," I said._

_"__Too late, I already decided. It's better to take precautions."_

___At this, he pulled me in to a hug._

_"__Fred! Ok, I get it. Let go!" I struggled to say as my face was buried into his shirt._

___He wouldn't let go for the longest time. I just stood there, not knowing what to do. Finally he said, "If being like this is the only way to protect you from him, I'll never let you go."_

___I slightly blushed at his words. He always says corny, childish stuff like this. And always treating me like a child._

_"__Too bad, I'm already old enough to fend for myself," I said, pushing him away and sticking out my tongue._

___We both laughed then sighed when I looked at the clock. It was time to start another day in work-prison…._

___It had already been two weeks since I first stepped into the Faraday household. Now as I look around at all the girls standing in the servant's quarters awaiting their orders, I could see only about half remained. Every day, to my disappointment, Jennifer and the Faraday fan girls had not been dismissed yet. Not even Miranda. _

___I always waited on the opposite side of the room, trying not to be seen by anyone from that clique. But sometimes, I always catch myself starring at them in a jealous sort of way. They had beauty and poise I could never own._

___Today, they were being their usual gossipy selves, giggling about all the latest fashion, cutest boys, and popular celebrities. Jennifer, I dubbed the leader of the group, always took control over every conversation. I could hear her beautiful, bubbly voice even across the other side of the room. The brunette twins, Chelsea and Lindsay, were always together. And, like the identical twins they were, had personalities so similar, they either completed each other's sentences or said something at the exact same time. I really envied their twin bond ship. Lastly, Miranda, I've also grown to notice, was always the quiet one, only smiling when being looked upon and inserting random short comments when being spoken to. _

___These girls were revered by everyone else. Sometimes as I did my work, I could overhear the other girls about how beautiful the Faraday fan girls were. Sadly, I had to agree with them. The other favorite topic amongst the employees, not to my surprise, was Darien Faraday. Pay me a penny for every time I hear Darien's name and I think I could buy this mansion. Anyway, the pay in this job was superb so I always tried to shame myself whenever I found myself thinking these thoughts._

_"__Miranda, where are you going?" I heard Jennifer call out._

___Miranda was attempting to walk out of the room, but turned and stopped to look at a concerned Jennifer and brunette twins._

_"__I think I dropped something. I'll be back," Miranda replied._

___Jennifer gave a slight frown._

_"__Odd," she said, "You usually don't simply drop things. It's not like you, Miranda. Oh well, hurry now! Sir Jonathan might be back anytime soon."_

___Miranda nodded and disappeared from the room. I watched her go, suddenly curious if she was telling the truth of not._

___Minutes later, Jonathan emerged from the hallway and every girl suddenly quieted down. Miranda still wasn't back yet. I decided that I shouldn't care because Miranda missing could possibly lead to a dismissal. And finally, one of the beauties would be gone from my sight forever. When my name was called, I was given a sheet with all the tasks and shifts I had to do until 7 pm. As I was walking, Jennifer purposefully bumped into me on her way up to getting her sheet._

_"__Watch it pauper," she quietly hissed at me._

___I ignored her, although was bummed that I had yet another contact with Jennifer. With fewer girls around, it's easier to find me. _

___Trying to conceal my face from all the snickering girls who were close enough to hear Jennifer's nasty comment, I bent over to look at my schedule._

___My first task was to clean the hallway of the second floor. Great._

___For some reason, Jonathan always __had ____to assign to the last place I wanted to be at in this mansion: next to Darien's room. I've been assigned to clean down that hallway only a couple times, but those times have been so unnerving. I automatically tense up whenever I hear someone go by. Fortunately, I haven't seen him at all the times I've cleaned there. I just couldn't help the fact that it would be a nightmare if I had another encounter with Darien again._

___I recalled the last time Darien saw me; I looked like such an idiot._

___Muttering a silent prayer, I headed up the main staircase and into the second floor hall. Almost instinctively, I started to dust, sweep, polish the glass, whatever I can do as far away from Darien's room as possible. _

___After hours of labor and dreading how subconsciously I was drawing closer and closer to the door to Darien's room, I gave a sigh. I was going to clean this part of the house as fast as I could before I ever had a chance to run into Darien. _

___With this mysterious new bravery, I marched up as close to Darien's room as possible and started to take out the duster. _

___First I would sweep the ivory frame of the door, and probably skip polishing the door handle—. _

___I skidded to a halt when I looked at the door. To my surprise, it was left slightly open! I never, I mean, __never ____saw the door left open before._

_I really should close the door. Someone might think I was trying to steal something._

___With a gulp, I began to take hold of the knob when suddenly I heard noises—from the inside of the room._

___I froze. If he had spotted me next to his door, I'd be murdered._

___The brief noises I heard from earlier started to become a little clearer. It was Darien's voice… and a women's voice._

___My self-conscious screamed __get away from there! ____But my curiosity was kicking in again. I really wanted to know who the women Darien was with. Thankfully, the door was wide enough I could manage to see a tiny bit of the tranquil room inside. _

___And to my shocking revelation—but not really much of a surprise—I saw._

___Miranda and Darien were sitting side by side on a seemingly traditional couch talking. Just talking, but I suddenly felt my stomach constrict as I watched them. I could faintly make out what they were saying._

_"…__So, you can all this way just to say that to me?" I could barely hear Darien say. His voice seemed a bit mocking._

___Miranda bit her lip but said nothing. I watched as Darien carefully placed his hand on her cheek and lean inward toward Miranda. I felt my temperature climb as I watched his lips move, murmuring words to Miranda in her ear._

___I really shouldn't watch this, but for some reason, I wasn't tearing away._

___Miranda nodded, her eyes suddenly peering at Darien as if in a trance._

___Helplessly I continued to watch, stomach knotting even harder, as Darien gave a sly and seductive kind of smile and pressed his lips to hers. Miranda willingly accepted his kiss and slipped her fingers at the nape of his neck. Darien continued to kiss her, pausing every so often to catch his breath. Miranda's gasps sent chills down my spine. _

___Darien continued to lean forward as if wanting more… wanting more…. _

___I couldn't stand it anymore. I finally pried my eyes away and swiftly moved away from the door. I ran down the spiral staircase at the end of the hall until I reached another empty hall and my knees suddenly gave in. I was panting hard, my pulse seemed like it was spazzing. I put my hands to my cheeks and already imagined my face flushed. My mind felt like it was about to split in two._

___I sat that deserted hallway until I slowly recovered. _

___Time slowly ticked and I didn't know how long I sat there. But my emotions were messed up and I need time to clear my head. I really wished I was home with my mom and Fred._

___Finally, giving one last sigh, I hoisted myself up and went back up the stairs to the second floor. I wanted to quickly gather all my cleaning supplies and retreat to my next task as fast as possible. Thankfully I was able to retrieve them without a hassle and started making my way toward my next task. _

___But as I continued to work the rest of the day I couldn't concentrate._

___The image of Darien and Miranda's passionate scene still burned in my head._


	6. Mysterious

___**Chapter Six: Mysterious **_

___The next day I could hardly keep my focus. After lying awake last night without sleeping a wink I was practically exhausted. I thought to myself over and over, __Why does Darien bother me so?____, only to end up with the searing picture of him and Miranda together. It burned every time a suppressed a lump in my throat._

___Fred knew that still didn't act like myself and I was fully aware of that. Poor Freddie. He was always looking out for me, yet I couldn't bring myself to tell him what I truly have seen and heard thus far. Maybe it was my brain subconsciously wanting not to burden Fred. He's done more than enough these past couple years. So when yesterday he asked how my day was, I quickly replied "fine" and that's all there was to it. I hated myself for lying._

___I didn't run into Darien or even Miranda for the next couple days. I slowly became suspicious. At lunch, I noticed how thin the crowd of girls has become. It was barely 10 or so girls. In my usual corner, I overheard Jennifer and the twins. I usually try not to snoop but the topic of Miranda perked up my ears._

_"__Seriously, Miranda's acting really freaky," one of the brunettes, Chelsea said._

___Her twin Lindsey agreed._

_"__I visited her yesterday because she didn't seem herself over the phone and all she did was mope around on her bed! Then I asked if she was still going to work tomorrow and you know what she said? She said, 'What work? I don't work'. "_

___Jennifer and Chelsea exchanged looks._

_"__Yeah, I know. I was shocked. I mean, come on! Who doesn't remember that we're here to work at Darien Faraday's house? He's __Darien____. She was always gaga over him. I mean, who isn't? She's completely mental!"_

___As Chelsea ended her speech, Lindsey spoke up._

_"__I was there too. It was really strange. There was only one thing that came to mind… She must have been fired and isn't telling us."_

___All three girls looked at one another looked at each other and nodded. It was the only reasonable conclusion. I sat there, stunned. __Who could so something so low? Just make out with a girl and then fire her? Who could just shed a girl some light and then just push her away just like that?____ I felt a sudden rage toward Darien all of a sudden. Even though it was someone like Miranda, no girl deserves have her heart messed with. _

___As I stalked away from the wretched house, I found Fred's car amiss. I pulled out my cellphone only to find two missed calls and a voicemail. It was from Fred who apologized over and over that he couldn't pick me up today due to some errands at his house. I decided to walk home. It was a fine day for a walk anyway._

___Casually I walked down a sidewalk admiring the enormous houses and their well-trimmed gardens. Every house was like a masterpiece. I passed by large cottage-like houses, German looking houses, white houses with a grand foyer and large windows, red brick houses, smaller houses with grand gardens, and the works. After walking for about ten minutes, one house caught my eye. It was a more modern looking house with a flat roof. The house was completely gray, but still looked beautiful among the other houses. I glanced at the house again, only to find a girl suddenly walking out the front door. It was Miranda. I quickly hastened my pace, praying that she didn't see me._

___Thankfully she didn't… or did she? Out of the corner of my eye I could see her solemn looking face. Her face was still beautiful, but there was something about her overall appearance that seemed darker. The spark that once surrounded her seemed to have vanished. I suddenly thought of Jennifer and the twins' conclusion of dismissal and instantly felt sorry for her. I should at least say hi. I gathered my courage and spun around to find Miranda swinging her fence closed. Cautiously I approached her._

_"__Er.. um.. hi," was all I could muster._

___Miranda met my eye, unmoved. We starred at each other for what seemed like hours. As I was struggling with something to say I couldn't but notice her eyes. Her once beautiful dark eyes all of a sudden seemed gray and blank. Just blank. It was strange not seeing Miranda give a beautiful smirk at me or taunting me. _

_"__How's… the weather?" I asked stupidly._

___Miranda held her blank expression then replied, "Fine."_

_Man, she must really be brooding over this, ____I thought. _

_"__Yeah, a fine day…" I faltered. I mean what could I say? I wasn't her friend. But she really seemed strange._

___Miranda shrugged a bit then moved passed me. She seemed unimpressed, her mouth clamped in a thin line and blankly walking to her destination._

___I struggled to say something else._

_"__I'm sorry!" I blurted out._

___Miranda stopped and turned around and glanced toward me._

_"__For what?" she said in a robust voice._

_"__Um… that you were dismissed." __Shoot! I didn't mean to be so direct about this!_

_"__Pardon?" she answered, "I don't understand. Dismissed from what?"_

___I looked at her, recalling that she had also denied her best friends that she ever worked at the Faraday household. But I could feel that she wasn't lying. No, looking at her blank unseeing eyes, I could tell that she was telling the truth. She really didn't remember._

___I didn't know what to say, but I was confused__. How could something like that happen to her? How could she not remember?_

_"__Err, nothing," I lied, blushing red. "Excuse me, I thought you were someone else."_

___At that, I sprinted away, not looking back. All I wanted was to be in the comfort of my own home and not even thing about these stupid things anymore._

_"__Lydia, there's something I mean to ask you," I said as I sat with her once more in the sunlight lacey room. It's been three days since I ran into Miranda. Ever since, work started to get lonelier. Only three girls remained, two of them were Jennifer and me. The twins departed not long after Miranda._

___Lydia, still as petite and warm as ever, sat beside me as she gave me a cup of tea._

_"__Whatever is the matter, child?" She asked in a worried tone. _

_"__It's just… why me? I should have been booted out weeks ago. Why am I still here? There's nothing really special about me."_

___Lydia starred out the window, fazed. She seemed to have been searching for an answer. Finally she spoke._

_"__I'm as clueless as you, dear." She closed her eyes. "I just wished you would have quit a long time ago."_

___After visiting Lydia's room, I realized I still had another hour to spare. She just wouldn't tell me anything, no matter how much a pleaded. But I did agree, something fishy was going on. And for some reason, I felt determined to figure it out. I didn't know what it was, but no matter how much I despised this place, no matter how much I wanted to quit, I just couldn't. There was something about this place that was drawn to me. Was it the money? No, not anymore. It was something probing in my brain. The want to fill in the missing pieces. _

___My feet carried me to the library. Perhaps there was something in these books that could lead me to a clue. Inside there were massive bookshelves piled high with leather bound books. I randomly pulled out a book and flipped to the copyright date. I gasped as this book was written in 1873. Despite its old age, it still looked in well condition. I looked around seeing the volumes and volumes of identical bound books. Like this house, they all seemed to be old and outdated. I skimmed the spines of the books, reading each title and wondering what books Darien Faraday reads. A tingle ran up my spine as I suddenly heard a noise behind me. I instinctively pressed myself against a shelf._

___From the corner of my eye came the view of Jennifer, lingering among another massive bookshelf. In her hand was a small black leather-bound book. Glancing around suspiciously, she nudged a pile of books aside and coveted the black book toward the back of the shelf. No by-passer would even notice the black book if they were to browse through. After her deed was done, Jennifer tossed her golden hair out of her face and tip toed toward the exit. Yet, what awaited her at the library's entryway was an alarming figure._

___Darien._

___My heart lurched as he gave a sly smile at Jennifer._

_"__Going somewhere?" he said in a silky, yet taunting tone._

___Even from my distance I could have sworn I felt Jennifer's heat of embarrassment as she apologized and quickly dashed passed him. At that instant, Darien turned his head… only to look directly in my direction. Turning on his heels, he made a rapid pace toward me. My mind started to panic and my knees buckled down. __How did he know I was here so fast?____ I looked around frantically, trying to consider another hiding place but to no avail. There was nowhere to run to. The feeling of helpless pulled at me so hard it was unbearable. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for the worst._

___And the worst I seemed to have felt. A hard hand grabbed my shoulder and suddenly slammed my whole helpless body among the rough edges of the bookshelf. I felt myself trying to scream but there was no air to produce sound anymore._

_"__My my, what a little snoop we've got here," he said as he inched his face closer to me._

___Then did I dare to open my eyes to meet his dark chocolate eyes. How mesmerizingly beautiful they seemed. But given the situation, I couldn't help but tremble. He stood towering over me and gazing as if to inspect something. Something that I could possibly have known._

___Darien suddenly tilted my chin toward him and looked directly into my eyes once more with a concentrated look on his face. I didn't know what he was doing, but it was starting to freak me out. __Was he going to try and kiss me like he did with Miranda?____ As he began leaning in, I grew even more uncomfortable. Using all the strength I could muster, I screamed "NO!" at the top of my lungs and shoved him aside. I pushed Darien toward the opposite bookshelf as he grunted with surprise. He wasn't expecting someone to fight back with such vigor, after all. _

___After regaining his balance, Darien looked at me, a bit taken a back._

_"__Interesting," he murmured. Again he glanced back at me. _

_"__As I thought, you're a bit different." _

___I looked at him quizzically, but I wasn't about to lose to the likes of him. I tried to look fearless as he dusted his suit cautiously then looked back one last time._

_"__Farewell, Alice. I'll be seeing you." _

___At that he retreated back toward the doorway, his footsteps once muffled by the library carpet now echoing on the hallway marble floor. _

___I only felt like I could move once Darien's echoing footsteps diminished altogether. I could still feel my heart racing and my cheeks blush a deep red. In a way, I somehow managed to have defeated him and his game. The predator has not caught his prey yet. I just had the get the heck out of here. _

___But upon leaving the library, I turned a heel as I recalled Jennifer among the bookshelf. With as much speed and craftiness as I could muster, I uncovered the mysterious black book for behind the set of books and fled the building as quick as I could. _

_"__Fred? It's me. Pick me up now," I demanded as a dashed out the mansion's massive doorway._

_"__Why, what's wrong?" The other side sounded concerned._

_"__It's just… pick me up! Please!" I chocked._

_"__Don't worry, Alice. On my way."_

___I ran until I saw the wrought iron gates ahead of me. As I neared the exit, I slowed down, catching my breath. In the center of the gates stood Jennifer, waiting with an anxious scared look on her face._

_"__It's Jennifer…" I said to myself._

___At the sound of her name, she turned around, frightened. Her once fair complexion had gone pasty white. The whites of her eyes seemed to have grown wider. She was shaking badly._

___I grew very concerned._

_"__Jennifer…" I said as she rushed toward me and embraced me._

___No matter how much of an imbecile she once was, I let her hug me and let her tears soak my shoulder._

_"__Alice… I… What do I do?" Jennifer sobbed uncontrollably. _

_"__I… Lindsey and Chelsea! I'm so frightened by them! They're not acting like themselves and it's scaring me to death!"_

_"__Shhh, calm down Jennifer. Now tell me, what do you mean?"_

___Jennifer let go of me and dabbed a handkerchief with her splotched eyes._

_"__W-well… they were acting like… like Miranda! All creepy like… like… they didn't know me anymore! It's like, I never was their friend! And so, well there are these things that the twins have told me that Miranda has told them. I was thinking, well, maybe I should but I shouldn't have!" _

___At that moment, a black limo drove up on the road in front of us._

_"__Oh, it's my ride," said Jennifer quietly. She turned to leave, but I was unsatisfied. I grabbed her hand and demanded an explanation._

_"__Finish what you were saying," I said as concerning as possible. "What shouldn't you have done? What did Lindsey and Chelsea say to you?"_

___But Jennifer nabbed her hand back. _

_"__Don't let me think about it! I'm done here, I quit! I don't want to tell you so just, let me not think about it!"_

___Then Jennifer, with a final dab of her handkerchief, got inside the limo and sped off._

___Moments later, Fred appeared and I quickly got inside his car._

_"__What in the world is going on, Alice?" Fred asked with much concern, "You sounded like you were being chased or something. You freaked the crap out of me!"_

___I sat in silence, trying to conjure up everything Jennifer had said. It confused me even more._

_"__Alice!" Fred jerked my shoulder. "Please, will you just tell me what's going on?"_

___I jerked back to reality only to find Fred staring at me with angry eyes._

_"__I'm sorry Fred… I'll tell you. But please, let me tell you later. I'll tell you after the car ride alright? I just… need some time to sort this stuff out."_

___Fred didn't mention anything until we got out of the car. It was when we got into the living room that he mentioned anything at all. _

_"__Now Alice," he said as we both calmed down a bit, "Tell me. What's going on? Please."_

___I glanced at him, figuring out which parts to tell him so it didn't sound too strange._

_"__Well, it's my co-workers and…" I couldn't conjure his name "that guy."_

_"__Guy? You said once before that you were trying to avoid some guy. Does he work there? Is he harassing you?"_  
___"What? No, I mean. I don't know," I answered, flustered._

___I buried my head in my hands._

_"__I just think something is strange about him. And it's connected to those girls. Every time I see him, my body just… wants to freeze. And his eyes, they just… are so mesmerizing that I can't turn away."_

___Infuriated with anger, Fred grabbed my shoulders and I was forced to look at his cold, hard stare._

_"__Did he do anything to you?" he growled angrily._

_"__What? No—"_

_"__Did he do anything to you?"____ he practically yelled at me._

___I swallowed what was left of my saliva. What should I say? Together on the couch, with his hands squeezed on my shoulder, we starred._

_"__You're hurting me," I said in a small voice._

___Fred, realizing how hard his hands were on my shoulders, let go and murmured an apology._

_"__I think that guy is dangerous," Fred concluded. "You shouldn't go back to work anymore. Quit right now."_

___It was more a demand than a suggestion. I turned away, flushed. I could feel the heat radiate from his anger._

_"__That… was what Lydia said back at the house. She's the dressmaker."_

_"__Then you should listen to her. I don't want you affiliated with that household anymore."_  
___I nodded._

___At that, Fred pulled me into a deep hug. "Good."_

___I let him hold me for a while, feeling the safety of his embrace. _

_"__I missed you anyway. It's about time that you returned home." He whispered through my hair. The hug lasted for a long time… in fact, too long than I had hoped for. He's hugged me countless of times, but never this long._

_"__Um… Fred?" I started to say._

___He hushed me. We still sat there in an embrace. Even when I let go of him, he still hung on tighter to me._

_"__Fred, is something the matter?" I asked._

_"__No, it's just… he really didn't do anything to you, right?"_

___I blushed crimson as I understood what he meant._

_"__Come on, Fred. No he didn't."_

_"__You're positive. You're not lying to me, right?"_

_"__No, I'm not."_

___I started to feel uncomfortable as he kept clinging on to me._

_"__You're blushing all over," he responded._

_"__Well, that's because you're acting so awkward. It's an awkward question to ask. But I'm positive he didn't do anything or __steal ____anything from me, ok?"_

_"__I'm glad," he murmured, "So very glad. I was worried that he…"_

_"__No, he didn't," I restated myself firmly. I was getting sick of this mockery. _

_"__Alice…" he whispered in my ear. He slowly pushed me down as he spoke. My body tensed at the sound of my name. Fred was always joking with me. Always. But his joke today seemed a little bit different._

_"__Fred, are you on something?" I said bluntly, "Your joke is crossing the line now."_

___Although I was starting to get angry, Fred ignored me with his face buried in my shoulder._

_"__Freddie," I demanded, "Let go of me. You're acting stupid now."_

___Again, my words went in Fred's ear then out the other. He pushed me down until him and I was completely horizontal, embraced on the couch. What in the world._

_"__Alice," he murmured my name in my ears. His lips barely grazed over the tip. I shivered as his arms, if it was even humanly possible, tightened closer around my waist than ever before. I couldn't take it anymore. A jolt went through my brain and into my temper._

_"__FRED!" I screamed at the top of my lungs._

___I flung him away from me as hard as I could and escaped his grasp. Hot and panting from embarrassment, I used all the force I could muster and gave him a cold hard slap on his face. If we were in Faraday's mansion, the sound would have reverberated throughout the entire place. Fred, as if knocked back to his senses, covered his swollen red cheek and looked at me shocked. I, however, was one ticked off person._

_"__Fred, you stupid, selfish, idiotic person! Get out of my house!" I yelled as I started throwing little useless punches at him._

_"__Look Alice, I'm sorr—"_

_"__No, get out of here!"_

_"__I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me… I just… I was just….I…"_

_"__Stupid, get out! I hate you, get out!"_

___He tried to deflect my useless punches and to come up with an excuse until he reached the doorway._

_"__Don't ever come back here, you stupid, stupid Fred! I hate you! Get lost!" _

___The whole house seemed to have shaken as I slammed the door in Fred's face. Grabbing the little black book from the kitchen table, I stalked to my room and slammed that door shut as well. From my window, I could see Fred next to his car, swearing to himself for—I could only guess—being so stupid. But, so what. I didn't care. I didn't care if I had left a small gaping wound in his heart with my words. I didn't care if he ever showed up to my place again. Because there is one thing I hated the most, and that was people taking advantage of other people. To me, Fred's actions were one of the worst things he could have possibly done._


	7. Gallantry

___**Chapter Seven: Gallantry**_

___I calmed down a bit after the episode with Fred and went to check how my mother was doing. _

___Good. She was asleep that whole time._

___After washing my face thoroughly, I belly flopped unto my bed and grabbed the little black book. Perhaps, this would keep my mind off of Fred. Studying it closer I was surprised that there was no title on the cover. I checked the spine only to discover nothing was written on it. Curiously, I cracked open the book._

_This book is in the property of D. Barrington____, it read on the inside cover._

___Barrington. I've heard Lydia utter that name once before. Could this Barrington person still be around? If so, why would Jennifer have that book? Was it really hers or perhaps it was Faraday's book?_

___Flipping the next page, I read on the upper left right hand corner: __May 3__rd__, 1895._

___It was some sort of diary or journal. I flipped to the end to find the last entry: __June 24__th__, 1904._

___This journal took place within the span of 9 years._

___I flipped to the front once more and began reading._

_May 3__rd__, 1895_

_Today is my birthday. I am ten years old. My father gave me this journal for my birthday. He said that I should start keeping a journal so that I can read back and reflect on my past. About a month ago, we moved from London and crossed the ocean to America. A new house was built for us in this little place, Newport, Rhode Island._

_I don't know what to think of it, yet. Apparently this house was supposed to be our summer home, but we had to give our old house away. Financial issues, the adults say. Now we just live in this one house in America. _

_I've met a few kids in the area already, but they don't interest me in the least. They're too loud for my taste. I prefer to read books by the fireplace. Father has got quite a collection. On occasion, I play the piano and the violin. They are very easy to play. My professor says that I can play very skillfully. _

_Truthfully, this place bores me. I miss my real home back in London. I miss my friends. I wonder what they are doing right now. I shall write to them later. I do have my father here with me, but he is so busy all the time. I rarely see him. My mother is dead. For now, books and music are my only companions._

_D. Barrington_

___I felt sorry for the poor boy after skimming the first entry. I never really felt alone like he did. I've always had my mom, my dad, or Fred at my side. Yet at the same time, I admired his elaborate handwriting. For a ten year old, his penmanship was superb and the vocabulary surpassed anything I had learned in grade school_

___Suddenly I heard a call. "Alice? Is that you? Are you home?" _

_"__Yes mom, coming!"_

___Reluctantly I shut the little black book and shoved it under my pillow. I decided to read it when I have the time to spare. Right now, I had to tend to my mom._

___At 11 pm I flopped on my bed, exhausted. _

___My mom woke up from her nap feeling more nauseous than usual. I called the doctor and had her examined. Meanwhile, I totally forgot about dinner so I had to rush to the groceries to buy dinner. _

___When I came back for her, the doctor said she had another fever and that I needed to keep a close eye on her. So after feeding, washing, and changing her, I settled her into her bed only to find that she couldn't sleep, even though she had taken medicine that should have made her drowsy. For the rest of the night, I read her the newspaper and her favorite novel until she was sound asleep._

___Although I promised to read the rest of the journal, evidently, I was too tired to do anything. So I simply got ready for bed._

___Instinctively I tried to set my alarm only to remember that I promised Fred never to come back to work in that place. I decided that I'd write a letter or phone them tomorrow morning to inform them of my dismissal._

___I sighed. It was as if life was back to normal again. No more rich house, no more annoying catty girls, no more Darien Faraday. Just me caring for my mom once again. I needed to find another job tomorrow and apologize to Fred for blowing up on him, I thought. With that final thought in my head I drifted lazily to sleep._

___A slight sound made me stir._

___I was a very light sleeper so even the smallest noise could awaken me. Almost always it would be my mom who woke up thirsty or needed to go to the bathroom. Once in a while it would be my neighbor's cat that just so happened to have wandered in our lawn in search of a small helpless rodent to pounce on._

___This particular night, it wasn't either._

___I stretched my arms and gave a loud yawn. Glancing at the clock I realized it was just past one in the morning. I only slept for two hours._

_"__Mom, is that you?" I called our sleepily._

___No answer. I could just make out the faint breathes of slumber from the other room. Nope, it wasn't my mom._

_Argh, it was the cat outside wasn't it,____ I thought grouchily. I squeezed my eyes a couple of times for them to focus. _

_"__Maybe, I'll just close the window," I said out loud to myself, still half asleep._

_"__Maybe you should have earlier."_

___My heart halted to a stop and the voice instantly knocked me to my senses. My blood had gone cold when I spun around to find a shadow in the corner of my bed. My scream was quickly suppressed as a powerful hand gagged my mouth with a cloth. Chloroform. I could almost make out a figure when my eyes suddenly grew hazy. The world tilted to one side and I was swallowed up by darkness._

___I woke up with my head palpitating and skin tingling. Feeling around, I could feel the soft covers of a bed sheet. I hadn't the slightest idea what came over me until I remembered. My eyes flew open and looked about my surroundings, panicking._

___In a chair on the corner of my bed was a man._

___The Newport thief. _

_"__You!" I blurted out, "What do you want from me?"_

___I unconsciously scooted myself toward the edge of my bed, as far away from him as possible. As he walked toward me, I pressed myself even further away._

_"__S-stay back! Don't touch me!" I warned him. My voice was wavering._

___The thief sat at the edge of my bed and I could finally see him in clear view. He wore the same outfit the first time I met him: black from head to toe, a top hat, a black cape with red underneath, and an intricate white mask that hid his eyes._

_"__Calm down," he answered in a silky tone, "I'll explain when you calm down."_

___My head was spinning. I had just gotten kidnapped by this mysterious masked man and he's telling me to be __calm____? I shook my head from side to side, vigorously._

_"__No! Why did you kidnap me?" my voice rose with an explosion of questions, "What are you going to do with me? Look, I just need to get back to my mom. She'll die without me. Please, just take me home! Who are you and what do you want from me? What do you wa—"_

___His white gloved hand reached over and touched my cheek, catching an escaping tear. I hadn't noticed that I was crying. When he shushed me again, my mouth closed, tears still spilling from my eyes. _

___Then, as if by magic, he pulled out a beautiful red rose out of thin air and offered it to me. I wiped my eyes then took it without thinking. It was like calming a child with her favorite toy._

_"__I won't harm you. I give my word, I swear," he said._

___I nodded, somehow believing his words. There was a sort of sincerity to his tone that I couldn't just ignore. He looked at me again just to make sure I wouldn't start screaming again._

_"__I would like to apologize for kidnapping you like that. It was horribly ungrateful of me. However, I had to the take the most necessary actions."_

___He paused and I waited patiently so that he could explain._

_"__You see, I have been looking for someone for a very long time. And…" At that he leaned close to me, his eyes beneath his mask gazed over at me._

_"__And… I might have found her."_

___My body flushed all over again. He was trying to find me?_

_"__What… do you mean?" I asked cautiously._

___He sighed._

_"__It's very difficult to explain. But just know, that you were always there, right under my nose. I just needed to make sure you were the one. I… still do not know if you are the one, but you are the closest girl I have met yet that could be her."_

___My head started to hurt._

_"__I'm sorry," I answered slowly, "but I couldn't possibly be the person you're looking for. You see, I'm just Alice Hamilton. We've only met once. I have nothing special about me. I don't think I have anything to do with you."_

___I clenched my bed sheets tightly._

_"__Just…" my voice began to waver again, "who are you anyway?" _

___The Newport thief didn't respond. I asked him again._

_"… __Who are you?... I've been kidnapped and I'm very confused. At least tell me who it is I'm talking to!"_

_"__I'll tell you tomorrow," he replied quietly._

___He stood up and began to walk toward the door._

_"__Wait!"_

___He paused and turned to face me again. I climbed out of bed and reached out to grab his cape. The thief didn't even bother to pull away._

_"__I have every right to know. Who are you? At least, tell me that much." _

___With a sigh, he answered, "You know who I am."_

___My eyes lingered toward his face. Then I studied the eyes hidden behind his beautiful white mask. I gasped at the sudden hint of recognition as I inched closer toward his eyes. There, peering before me were… the piercing, dark chocolate eyes._

_"__It's you…" I whispered._

___Seeing that I finally recognized him, he gently grabbed both my hands and together, we slowly took off his mask. With wonder and belief, I whispered his name out loud to myself._

_"__Darien."_

___At his name, he nodded and quickly let go of my hands. I was so confused and shocked at that point that I felt my legs give in. The white masked dropped with a muffled thump on the floor fully exposing his face. Without being able to do a thing, I watched Darien as he gave a handsome, yet coy smile then shut the door behind him._

___It seemed like minutes passed when I could finally regain my strength. I ran to the door and turned the handle multiple times. Locked. Desperate, I started pounding on the door calling out for someone, __anyone____, to open the door for me. I pounded and pounded until all the strength left me once again. It was hopeless at this point._

___Scooping up the mask and the rose that was strewn on the floor, I placed them beside me and knelt on my bed._

___Tired from panicking and frustrated with myself, I cried. I had been left I complete mess. I was separated from my mom who was very sick and needed me. I left Fred without confronting him so that we could mend our friendship back together. I was stolen away from the comfort of my home with little explanation as to why I was here. And seemingly the most dreadful of all, the thief turned out to be Darien. _

___Why did he want me? What did I have to do with him? Most importantly, when can I return home again?_

___These thoughts and questions emerged over and over again. Attempting to sleep was just impossible. So with tearstained eyes, I starred at the mask and the rose in my hands until I could have sworn dawn entered the sullen room._


	8. Discountenance

___**Chapter Eight: Discountenance**_

___There was no clock in the room so I had no idea what the time was. I pulled back the curtains. The sun, just peeking out to start the day, casted shades of yellow and orange. Despite my predicament, the sunrise looked magnificent. I tried to open the windows only to note that they were bolted shut. Of course, they wanted to make sure their prisoner wouldn't escape._

___From down below, I could see the elaborate garden and in the center was the enormous water fountain. I had been in the Faraday mansion this whole time. I sighed, wondering what to do with myself. In this house, I had no say. I could only wait helplessly for my impending fate—for someone to come in the room and do whatever they please with me._

___As if on cue, a knock came upon my door. I didn't bother to answer back, for they knew I was in here. I mean, where else would I have gone off to?_

_"__Excuse, Miss Hamilton," said the voice on the other side._

___Standing by my doorway was Sir Jonathan, the butler. He was still as tall and taciturn as ever. He cleared his throat, and then bowed slightly._

_"__You will be dining with the master for breakfast. Please change into these."_

___He pulled out large box wrapped in a big red ribbon and handed it to me. Sir Jonathan spoke up again._

_"__The master hates waiting, so I suggest you head downstairs as quickly as possible." Before leaving he took one last look at me._

_"__I… trust you know where the dining room is, right?"_

___At that, Sir Jonathan's mouth twisted upward. I stared back and nodded, quite taken aback with his smile. I've never seen him smile before. He departed, shutting the door behind me._

___Curiously, I unwrapped the ribbon and pried open the box with my fingernails. Expecting work clothes, I picked up the garments. Instead, I was holding up a floor length day gown. I ran my hands through the cream colored flower prints. It wasn't anything of this era. I hesitantly put on the gown only to realize that it was nearly impossible to lace up my back. I sighed. Well, now what._

___Another knock on my door made me jump. The voice on the other side seemed to have made my heavy heart grow lighter._

_"__It's me, Lydia! May I come in, dear?"_

_"__Lydia! Of course!" I replied, overjoyed._

___In walked the jolly, petite Lydia. She was like a ray of sunshine among the dull room. I instinctively stooped down and hugged her tightly._

_"__My dear," Lydia said as she returned my embrace, "You've had quite a journey over here. I'm so sorry."_

___I just shook my head._

___We let go and Lydia started studying me up and down, pursing her lips._

_"__It seems to me Sir Jonathan has brought your dress over to you." _

___With a giggle she added, "You forgot your undergarments."_

_"__My… what?" At that moment, she opened my closet and pulled out a bunch of white fabric._

_"__You need to put on your camisole and your petticoat underneath before the dress. I'll help you with your corset."_

___I gulped._

_"__My corset? Why do I need to put on all this strange clothing?"_

_"__It's simply what the master wants. Questions later. For now, you'll get used to it."_

___Questionably, I lifted what seemed to be the camisole. __Oh well, it's like a cami just old fashioned,____ I tried to convince myself. After fastening my camisole and petticoat, Lydia began to move toward me with the corset. However, I refused. After all, I knew from watching historical movies that women could barely even breathe in those things._

_"__Please Lydia, I don't think that's such a great idea. I think I'll die…"_

_"__But the master—"_

_"__He won't be able to tell!" I tried to convince her._

___She sighed. "Well, if you say so."_

___Finally, she motioned me to stand up straight as she laced up my back of my dress. I looked into the full length mirror as she laced me up. The sweetheart neckline and short puffy sleeves made me look like a character out of historical Victorian movie. The silky dress did go all the way down to the floor. My feet were hidden underneath the ruffles of the skirt. I couldn't believe that I was to wear such a dress. Although it was beautiful, I stared at my reflection and concluded that I looked out of place. Everything really was beautiful; the only thing wrong in the mirror was me._

_"__Um," I spoke up, "is it ok for me to wear this dress?"_

_"__Of course it is," Lydia said, almost tying up the last of the lace, "The master requested it, therefore, he must have wanted you to wear it. Done! Now don't you look gorgeous?" Lydia rested her hands on my shoulders._

_"__The dress is beautiful," I replied, glancing away._

___She guided me closer to the mirror._

_"__No, __you____ are beautiful," Lydia corrected me. Next she motioned me to sit down on the stool located to next to a white wooden dresser. She began fixing up my hair._

___I carefully chose my words so as not to offend anyone._

_"__I… don't think I really deserve this dress." I looked away, embarrassed._

___Lydia reached over and playfully pinched my cheek._

_"__Oh, nonsense! The master will be pleased." Lydia gave a teasing grimace at me. Color flooded my cheeks. _

_"__If you ask me, no matter what you're wearing, your presence alone will sure to please the master immensely," Lydia continued with a chuckle. "Only joking."_

___But something in her tone made it seem like she wasn't joking around._

_"__Lydia?"_

_"__Hmm?"_

_"__Are the other girls going to show up today? Aren't I supposed to be working?"_

_"__The decision has been made. There are no other girls left."_

___Lydia glanced at me, smiling._

_"__Congratulations! You're the last one to successfully complete the training!"_

___I looked at her dumbfounded._

_"__So… what Darien meant by __the one____ was that I was to be the new housekeeper?" _

___Lydia laughed._

_"__Hardly," she replied, "You were chosen for a much greater purpose."_

_Greater purpose?____ I thought to myself._

___Lydia managed to collect my hair into a nice bun. After putting on a nice pair of slippers, Lydia escorted me downstairs to the dining room._

___I entered the massive dining hall with butterflies in my stomach. There was no room for appetite, only a hunger for information. __What the heck was going on?____ But that craving ceased instantly as soon as I saw the tall dark figure at the head of the table. _

___Darien sat politely in his chair, empty dishes in front of him. His head was down as if to be tired of waiting for me. As soon as Lydia and I walked in, he looked up and gave me a heart-stopping smile. He still looked devilishly handsome, even in the morning._

_"__Call for Pierre. Our guest has arrived," he ordered Lydia. _

___With a nod, Lydia quickly seated me at the opposite end of the table then quickly vanished to fetch this Pierre guy._

___I immediately recognized the position of Pierre as soon as he walked in. He was the household chef. With a platter in both hands, he placed a plate down in front of me._

_"__Madame," he said as he presented the breakfast._

___Then he set the second plate down in front of Darien, muttered a "Monsieur" then disappeared through the kitchen door. I starred at the leafy greens and undistinguishable objects on my plate; my appetite (if I had any in the first place) was gone all together. _

___Instead, I stared at Darien, unenthusiastically eating his own plate of food. He had a navy blue coat with trousers and his hair still gelled back in the same manner I have always seen. During this awkward breakfast, he took sudden small glances at me and seemed to be concealing a smug smile as if keeping in an inside joke._

___However, I tried not to pay heed. I wanted to know more, so much more yet I didn't know where to begin. Finally, words pierced through the air, except it wasn't mine._

_"__No corset," I heard Darien's words slice through the air._

_Had I heard correctly?_

_"__Pardon?" I answered._

___He gave a little a cough and said it again._

_"__No corset. You're not wearing one."_

___A hard red colored my cheeks that spread through the rest of my body. I felt myself growing more uncomfortable by the second. __How dare he!____ I mean, what could you say to that? And more importantly, how did he know? He was studying my figure, wasn't he? __That perv,____ I wanted to say._

___Instead, I stuttered with a response._

___Darien seemed to have enjoyed my reaction because he unveiled his smug smile. _

_"__Sorry, that was quite sly of me," he teased. "I just noticed your posture. You're slouching a bit. Corsets never would allow you to do that."_

_"__Oh," was the first thing I managed to him. I relaxed a bit, accepting his answer._

_"__How do you like your food?" he inquired._

_"__Oh, the food! Right… it's good," I lied._

___A pause and then suddenly, "You're bad at lying. You haven't even taken a bite."_

___At that, I quickly thrust some food in my mouth. He chuckled and it seemed to have burned as I swallowed. __Just tell what the world is happening here, ____I thought angrily. As if reading my mind, Darien responded._

_"__Now I'm sure you have many questions as to why you're here. Your face says it all. 'Why am I here?' I'll tell you soon. Have patience, it will take a while to explain and – what's the phrase—soak it all in."_

___He seemed to have thought that I didn't believe me. His smile completely vanished at this point; he was being completely seriously._

_"__You just have to trust me, Alice. I know I may have hurt you in multiple ways that I can possibly imagine and I utterly beg for forgiveness. But, you're going to have to believe me. No more lies. I will tell the truth."_

___My eyes narrowed, "When will you tell me?"_

_"__We'll meet later in the afternoon at two pm. In the gardens. There I will start to tell you."_

_"__Promise?"_

___Darien nodded curtly._

___Promptly at two, I set out for the gardens as promised. I stepped out into the sunlight, smelling the fresh, sweet aroma of nearby roses. It was such a beautiful day. Seeing Darien has not come, I gently sat beside the water fountain and dipped my fingers into the water. It felt cool and refreshing and for a moment I felt the urge to go to the nearest beach to go for a swim. Except I couldn't, not in these clothes. _

___Instead, I began to hum the tune to __The Rose____ to calm my nerves. It's been awhile since I've last sang. In fact, I remembered the last time I sang was at this very same spot. Someone had overheard me that time, but for some reason, I didn't get in trouble. Perhaps it was Darien who heard me after all. I smiled, thinking how long ago it seemed. The song was interrupted back then. I never got to finish it. So, inhaling the soft breeze around me, I sang the second verse to the song._

_It's the heart, afraid of breaking_

_That never learns to dance_

_It's the dream, afraid of waking_

_That never takes the chance_

_It's the one who won't be taken_

_Who cannot seem to give_

_And the soul, afraid of dying_

_That never learns to live_

"Interesting lyrics, that last stanza."

I swirled around to come face to face with Darien. As promised, he arrived like he said he would. I stood up quickly and dusted my dress, my eyes meeting the floors. I didn't want him to hear me.

"Oh no, please. Do continue singing," he urged.

I shook my head, still facing the ground. He heard his footsteps come toward me.

"Don't be afraid of me." He tilted my chin upward so that I could see his face. Misty-eyed, I gazed into his eyes and my heart started its unnatural high rhythm. So handsome was his face, his features, his eyes… I couldn't tear away.

"You sing beautifully," he complimented in my ear.

Blushing, I responded with a "Thank you."

As he let go of my chin, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

"That last line you sang. It's intriguing. 'It's the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.'" He glanced at me. "Do you believe that's true, Alice?"

"I've never really thought of that," I admitted. "It was just an older song my mom always used to listen to. Bette Midler sings it."

"I see." He gave me another glance. _He needed to quit glancing at me before my heart explodes!_

"The soul," he spoke again, quietly, "The soul itself is intriguing. It is who are you are, without the cavity of the body. It is the essence of you. Without a soul, there isn't a 'you'. The soul is such an abstract definition. It can be seen as being made up of many different things. For example a soul can be made up of memories, personality, emotions…"

He paused dramatically to see if I was catching up.

"There is one emotion that dominates the soul the most. Can you guess what that is?"

My temperature climbed another notch when he uttered the word "Love."

"Alice, do you believe that a person is destined to truly love one partner in a whole lifetime? Do you believe in 'the one'?"

I stammered for a response, "Do… you mean like a truly beloved?"

"No, deeper than that. There is a loved one that destiny has matched in each of us. Only one for eternity. Like your perfect half."

The struggle for the term vanished instantly as a light bulb clicked in my head. This talk about love, perfect halves, and souls…. seemed to have pieced all together into one word. Just somehow, I was strangely able to piece it together into this one single word.

"You don't mean…"

Darien nodded.

"Alice. You may just be the one I've been searching for for many years. You may just be my soulmate."


	9. Omnipotent

**Chapter Nine: Omnipotent**

_Soulmate._ He said I was his "soulmate". The words echoed repetitively in my ears. Darien and I have been connected this whole time through this inseparable bond that I've learned about only seconds ago. My eyes couldn't bear to meet his any longer as I quickly covered my face in my hands. As if expecting my reaction, he smoothed my hair back reassuringly.

I found my voice as I hoarsely spoke, "So this is why you want me here, then? Because we're soulmates?" I found my courage to let my voice rise. "What makes you think that I'm your soulmate anyway? There's just no way…"

Darien gently pried my hands away and lifted my chin. I was forced to look up again at his hypnotic chocolate eyes. "I just know." For some reason, I believed him.

A pause came over us and more confusion flooded me. What in the world was he talking about? He needs to stop this foolishness this instant. Suddenly I started to feel how cheesy this whole situation was. I felt pathetic and I weariness seemed to have come over me.

Brushing his hand away from my face, I muttered, "I don't understand." With all the energy I could muster, I picked my skirt and turned away from him. "If you'll excuse me…"

"Where are you going?" he said. He seemed to be very calm about this, something I was slightly annoyed by.

"Home." I answered defiantly.

But before I could take another step he says to my back, "I can pay for all your mother's medical funds if you stay here." It brought me to an abrupt halt. "If you go," he continued, "you'll struggle to find another job that pays for much less. But if you continue to stay here, I can guarantee enough money for your mother's care."

How tempting his offer was but… "It's not just about the money. My mother needs _me_ as well."

Behind me, I can hear him chuckle to himself. "Miss Hamilton, for goodness sake. I'm not taking you as my prisoner. Of course, I will allow you to come and go as you please. To top it all off, you'll be coming as my personal guest. No more housework or cleaning. If you will only promise that you'll continue to visit me daily."

"And if I don't?"

"Well, let's just say I know where you live."

Dang, he caught me in a bind.

"So let me get this straight. You'll allow me to go as I please only that I visit you every day? You'll pay me enough money just for me to visit? And all this is because you strongly believe that I'm your so-called 'soulmate'?"

"Correct." I froze as I felt his body suddenly up against my back. My face grew beet red and I squeezed my eyes shut from embarrassment as his hands barely grazed mine. I can feel his breath as he whispered in my ear, "You'll also be able to find out the truth about your existence."

For some reason, this had convinced me so. "Fine. I'll do it."

At that, I hastily escaped from his grasp and ran back to my temporary room.

I was surprised to find Lydia already occupied in my room. She was just about to pour the rest of the tea when she looked up at my disheveled presence.

"Lydia…" was all I could say in one audible breath and I crumpled to the floor exhausted. Alarmed, she helped me onto my feet and into a chair. Then, she offered the tea which I sipped hastily, not caring if I had manners or not.

"So, what did the master tell you?" she finally spoke.

I looked up at her worrisome face. She was worried as if I was her own daughter. It made me feel braver as I told her.

"He believes I'm somehow his 'soulmate'. And because of that, he wants me to come by every day to see him in exchange he will help pay my mother's medical bills. I honestly just don't know why though. Why is he making this such a big deal?"

Lydia made a grave face as if she already knew this would happen. Suspicion settled in. I took a stab at it."He…" I began, "says this to many other women, doesn't he?" But Lydia shook her head.

"No, he's not like that at all. You're the first and only. I believe that you really are his soulmate." There, it was again. That word again. The word with such an ambiguous meaning.

"I don't understand what you mean by that, Lydia," I reply.

"Now Alice, listen to me very closely. I warned you before that you were in danger but now I'm afraid it's too late. He's already found you and there's nothing you can do but accept it."

Her words began to make me tremble. Seeing me, she took my hand reassuringly.

"You mustn't get tricked by him. If you do, something will happen."

"What will?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not permitted to say. No one can," she answered, looking at me apologetically.

"…Why? Why can't you tell me? Why can't anyone in this blasted place tell me except for him?" At this point, I was practically shouting at her.

"Because our families for generations took an oath that we must continue to bare the rest of our lives," she says darkly. Her expression seemed distant that made me not press any further. I seemed to have re-opened a wound and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt the only comforting person I cared about in this house.

"I'm sorry… I just…. I didn't know what to do. I stupidly agreed to his conditions."

"Just follow what he says for now. Continue to visit him to discover the truth."

Sir Jonathan asked Charles, the Faraday chauffeur, to escort me back to my home. He told me that every day I will be picked up promptly at 9 o'clock in the morning in front of my house. I did nothing but nod.

As I soon as I reached the familiar house, I bolted up inside and into my mom's room. I found her awake, propped up on a pillow reading a book.

"Oh Alice, you're back." I glanced at the tray that normally sits at her bedside to find dirty dishes that need to be washed.

"I figured you had to leave work for work early since I didn't see you in the morning." This calmed my heart a little. At least I didn't have to find my mom all distressed and worried over me. I didn't want to cause any more heartache on her.

"By the way," she continued, "the breakfast you left for me was fantastic! It was something I haven't ever tasted before." Breakfast? I didn't leave anything for her. Perhaps it was Fred? After the last time I saw him, I was doubtful he'd return. Besides, mom was all too familiar with Fred's cooking. So maybe it was _him_.

"Thanks," was all I could say. She motioned me to lean over to her so that she could pat my head.

"So, mom," I said as I chose my words carefully, "they told me that I was officially hired for the job. I'll have to start working every day now." It was like spitting acid, lying to my mom like that. But I didn't want her to worry in her condition. This made her eyes light up, delighted.

"Oh honey, I'm so proud of you! You're working so hard. I knew you could do it. I'm so grateful to have a responsible daughter like you. Just try not to overwork yourself, ok?"

"I won't," I replied as I secured the bed sheet covers over her. "They'll be picking me up every day at 9 o'clock."

"Ok," she responded.

And with that, I shut the door carefully behind her.

I decided my next task was to make amends with Fred. I didn't want to get on his bad side when I've always been entrusting my mom to him while I'm away. Since I will be gone even more often, the more I needed him.

I picked up my phone and pressed speed-dial #1. Fred picked up immediately after the first ring.

"Hello, Alice? Is that you?"

"Hey Fred, yeah it's me." I could envision feel the relief spread across his face.

"I was just worried since I came to pick you up for your work, but you weren't there. I asked your mom and she said she said she didn't know where you went off to. But she figured you went to work already."

"Yeah, um… I'm sorry about that." No way, was I telling him that in truth I was kidnapped and was forced to make a bargain against my will!

"Your mom convinced me after she said you left her with breakfast." This confirmed my suspicions. Darien really did make the breakfast.

"They sent a car to pick me up early today. Sorry I forgot to tell you the other day," I lied.

"Oh right. The other day…. Look I'm sorry for what I did," he sounded genuinely apologetic. "I don't know what came over me. Honestly, I didn't. It's just… when I think about your safety and what you're going through and all, I just feel the need to be protective over you."

"Freddie, you don't have to protect me. I'm fine, seriously."

"No, don't you see? I _want_ to protect you. It's something I want to do. I couldn't bare it if you were hurt by the Newport thief or, or that guy at work!"

"I'm fine, Fred," I replied again. "Things are turning out for the better anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"They told me today that I was hired for the job. I'm going to be able to work every day now. They also promised me more than enough money for mom's medical bills", and to sound the most convincing, I forced myself a "Isn't it great?"

But I can hear bitterness in his tone as he forced himself to say, "Yeah, Alice. That's… wonderful. But…."

Knowing full well what he was going to say next, I interrupted, "Don't worry Freddie, I no longer see that guy from work. He got fired." Little did he know, _that guy_ was actually the head of the Faraday mansion. That seemed to cheer him up tremendously when he answered, "Ok good. Now I'm more relaxed."

"Good."

"So… what time will I have to drive you over there tomorrow?" Crap.

"Oh yeah, about that… well, they will be sending a chauffeur to pick me up every day from now on, so I won't need a lift anymore."

"Oh." I can taste the disappointment. I was truthfully just as disappointed as he was.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Freddie."

"No, it's alright. It can't be helped."

"But don't worry! I'll call you up as soon as I'm done with my first day tomorrow and we can see each other."

I felt like I would need someone reassuring to be by my side after an unnerving full day with Darien. Plus, I want to see Freddie happy. I can't disappoint him after all I've been lying to him about. I have to make him believe that everything was okay. When it obviously wasn't.

Fred seemed convinced. "Ok, promise?"

"Promise." With that, we said our goodbyes with the hopes that tomorrow would go by smoothly.

That night, I ended up only reading three diary entries of the little black book before I drifted off the sleep. From what I could make of this 10-year old Barrington child was that he seemed so desperate to want to return to London and how hard it was to adjust to his new home. It left an impression on me that he hated to adjust to change. Moreover, as I was reading his genuine handwriting, I couldn't help but envision a lonely crying child, lost and alone in a dark, foreboding world.


End file.
